Cantor is working with Biden on a possible deal to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
Lawmakers are in negotiations to take one final crack at approving the Violence Against Women Act before year’s end, but last minute talks may not be enough to iron out the remaining differences.
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., are working together to try to bridge the gap on some of the outstanding issues between Democrats and Republicans on the measure’s reauthorization, including new language that expands rights to the gay community, immigrants and inhabitants of tribal land.
Sources close to both Cantor and Biden issued generic statements confirming talks are happening, but did not provide much detail beyond that. The unwillingness to talk about the negotiations could indicate both seriousness to reach an agreement and the difficulty of finding common ground. And while sources tracking VAWA’s progress admit the work is real, there is deep skepticism that House Republicans will compromise enough to support legislation similar to a Senate-passed bill that was approved with GOP votes, 68-31, in April.
“I think the talks are serious, but the prospects dim,” a Senate Democratic leadership aide said. “House Republicans don’t seem to be learning the lessons of the campaign and election.”
Democrats had been hopeful that because women and minority voters overwhelmingly favored them in November’s elections, Republicans would come around on some of the basic provisions involving immigrant and gay rights. One Democratic source who has been working on the bill said that VAWA’s reauthorization is a “good opportunity” for Republicans to show that they “have learned or are learning” from their failure to make electoral inroads with key demographics affected by the legislation.
But the aide noted that it is “too soon to tell whether it’s people going through the motions or [if they] are committed to real policy solutions” in the most recent uptick of activity on the initiative.
With most of the Hill’s political oxygen being consumed by the negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff, the reauthorization of the lapsed bill extending rights to victims of domestic abuse has largely fallen by the wayside. So the fact that talks are again happening on VAWA gives some of the legislation’s chief backers some hope for approval.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D- Vt., took to the floor Thursday to tout a House bill co-sponsored by Reps. Darryl Issa, R-Calif., and Tom Cole, R-Okla., that could complement the Senate bill on the tribal lands issue. Leahy called the House bill a potential “breakthrough” for overall VAWA fight.
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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